Brief CBT Can Help Cut Caffeine Consumption

New research suggests engaging in brief, cognitive-behavioraltherapy can help people with problematic caffeine use lower their caffeine consumption.

Laura M. Juliano, Ph.D., a professor of psychology at American University, and Drs. Daniel P. Evatt and Roland R. Griffiths of Johns Hopkins University, found the intervention resulted in a clinically significant reduction of average caffeine consumption.

On average, participants reduced their caffeine consumption by 77 percent during treatment, and more than three-fourths of participants reduced consumption to below 200 mg per day.

“These findings, which come from one of the largest controlled clinical trials of caffeine modification conducted to date, show that a brief manual-based therapy, consisting of cognitive-behavioral strategies and gradual caffeine reduction, can help individuals seeking treatment for problematic caffeine use,” Juliano said.

The study appears in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Researchers say there is growing evidence that some individuals suffer from caffeine use disorder, characterized in part, by failed attempts to decrease caffeine use despite having caffeine-related negative psychological or physical consequences. Moreover, physical dependence is often noted as evidenced by withdrawal symptoms during abstinence.

Caffeine use disorder is included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition, or DSM-5, as a condition for further study, meaning that more research is needed before it can be considered for inclusion as an official diagnosis.

“One of the major gaps in our understanding of caffeine use disorder is information on effective treatment approaches,” said Juliano, who served as an appointed advisor to the DSM-5 substance use disorders work group that developed the research diagnosis.

Caffeine, the most widely used psychoactive drug in the world, can produce negative psychological effects in users, including anxiety, jitteriness, upset stomach, and sleep problems. Prior studies have found that some people struggle to control caffeine consumption even after being advised by a medical professional to do so, Juliano said.

Because many people have problems in reducing their caffeine intake, Juliano and colleagues set out to find a way to help such individuals.

The researchers recruited 67 people from a larger pool of individuals who expressed interest in receiving help to reduce or quit using caffeine. They participated in a structured clinical interview designed to identify only individuals for whom caffeine use was having a significant negative impact.

Of those selected, most met the strict DSM-5 criteria for caffeine use disorder, including having tried unsuccessfully to limit caffeine use in the past. The average daily caffeine consumption was 666 mg, three times the rate of the general population.

The average age of the participants was 42, and men and women were equally represented.

The treatment study is the first clinical trial to screen participants using DSM-5 criteria and to employ a carefully controlled experimental design. To better isolate the effects of the treatment and control for time, half of the participants received treatment right away, and half waited six weeks before starting treatment while still keeping track of their caffeine consumption in a daily journal.

Seventy-one percent of participants chose to reduce rather than entirely quit caffeine.

The treatment consisted of one hour of therapy with a trained counselor and a take-home treatment booklet. Treatment strategies included a “caffeine fading” regimen in which caffeine use was decreased each week for five weeks to lessen unpleasant withdrawal symptoms and tracking progress in a daily caffeine diary.

Participants also substituted non-caffeinated drinks, and learned to cope with withdrawal symptoms and cravings. They also changed dietary and exercise habits.

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About Rick Nauert PhD

Dr. Rick Nauert has over 25 years experience in clinical, administrative and academic healthcare. He is currently an associate professor for Rocky Mountain University of Health Professionals doctoral program in health promotion and wellness. Dr. Nauert began his career as a clinical physical therapist and served as a regional manager for a publicly traded multidisciplinary rehabilitation agency for 12 years. He has masters degrees in health-fitness management and healthcare administration and a doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin focused on health care informatics, health administration, health education and health policy. His research efforts included the area of telehealth with a specialty in disease management.